One Step at a Time
by Sonya Rivers
Summary: 3rd Installment in the Alexa Night series! Kate is Alexa and Iggy's daughter. All seems well, until Itex reappears yet again and kidnaps her! Who will come to her rescue? And could she really be falling for her best friend?
1. The Present

_Author's Note: I decided to not write anymore about Alexa. Instead, this is about Alexa's daughter Katelyn. _

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Kate's POV

I stared out over the palace wall, exploring the kingdom with just my eyes.

My name is Princess Katelyn Batchelder. I am a genetic experiment.

Not directly, of course. But both of my parents were, and same with my extended family.

My father, Prince Iggy, was experimented on, and formed a close bond with the Flock, who eventually escaped.

I don't know how my mother, Princess Alexa, escaped. She never mentions it. But I think she used her alter-ego, Nyx, to help her get out of there.

Princess Max eventually married Prince Fang. Now, both of them rule the kingdom of Krikia. They have a son, Crown Prince Silence, who is my best friend. I call him Sil for short. Ella's daughter, Princess Kaila, is another good friend of mine.

Ella, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel all got married also, to royalty of neighboring kingdoms. But all of them still live here.

But enough about the past. Time to tell about the present.

I am 15 years old, with my mother's green eyes and pale skin, and my father's red hair. I do have wings, which are dark brown.

My powers: I can see the future. Whenever I get a vision, my green eyes turn gray for some unexplainable reason. I am not in control of my body at this point. Then, I tell a prophecy, which always comes to pass. When I come out of my trance, I won't remember my prophecy, which can be a hassle if I'm alone.

Aside from that, I can manipulate my aura. Nothing too special.

Sil looks just like his dad. He can turn invisible, create force fields, and fly at supersonic speeds. I could tell him anything.

The sound of a snapping twig interrupted my reverie. "Sil, I know you're there." I called.

"Darn." Sil reappeared. "I almost had you that time." He looked exactly like his father did at that age. At least, that's what my mother told me.

He climbed up next to me. "We have the Suitor's Ball tonight."

I groaned. The Suitor's Ball was basically a gigantic, fancy party where matchmaking mothers tried to hook up their children with the royal children. "As long as Damien Harp isn't there this year, I'm fine." Damien Harp was the most disgusting, ugly, vile-mannered person I'd ever met. He was also the Crown Prince of the neighboring land of Farene.

He grimaced. Sil didn't like Damien any more than I did, which is to say, not at all. "Avoid him if you can. If you can't, then come over to me. I'll make you invisibe."

Oh, I could also mimic another's powers for a short period of time. But that would mean… "You won't be able to, then. And you'll have the most attention."

"It would be worth it. I don't want to lose you to the evil idiot."

I shuddered at the sudden bleakness in his voice. "That won't happen."

At least, I hoped it didn't.


	2. The Prophecy

_Author's Note: Tell me if you like the prophecy or not._

_Oh, and I am curious… Why not Kate with Sil? (I don't remember who asked me not to put Kate with Sil.)_

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Sil's POV

Me and Kate were sitting in the tree together, talking and laughing. This was why we were best friends. I could tell her anything.

Suddenly, she doubled over. I caught her before she fell out of the tree, and instinctively knew that she was having a vision. Her eyes turned gray as conformation of my guess.

She began to speak in a voice that was not her own; a voice of the Otherworld.

_Though times are peaceful_

_It shall not last_

_For the contamination is back_

_Two children_

_Of Royal blood_

_Must save the kingdom_

_One must fight to stay alive_

_As an ally_

_Betrays them_

_The other must fight to save their friend_

_Before the contamination_

_Claims them_

_The second child's decision_

_Will be hard and long_

_As the pressure becomes unbearable_

_If they are not careful_

_Blood will be shed_

_And Krikia will be destroyed_

_Forever_

Kate sagged in my arms for a minute, then came back to her usual self. Her gray eyes turned back to green. "Tell me what I said." She ordered.

I did so, and she swore under her breath. I couldn't blame her. She had just predicted Krikia's potential downfall, after all.

But, as we were contemplating the prophecy, a yell interrupted us.

"Prince Silence and Princess Katelyn! Get over here!" Yelled one of the palace maids. "You need to get ready for the Ball."

We groaned in unison, and climbed back down the tree. Before we went separate ways, she turned to me. "Thanks for making sure I didn't fall."

"You're welcome." Why was I suddenly dreading the thought of anyone else dancing with her tonight?

I must be going crazy.


	3. Suitor's Ball

_Author's Note: Kilence is a cool name… thanks._

_And Alexa and Iggy weren't best friends… after all, she didn't really open herself up to him, because of the whole 'servants aren't allowed to be friends with their masters' thing._

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Kate's POV

The Suitor's Ball. Filled with elegant and not-so-elegant boys and girls, all hoping to snag one of the Royals as their spouse. There were lights, dancing…

And me in a big, poufy dress.

Someone please kill me now.

My mother swept over to me. "Not dancing?" I swear, she has mom radar.

"No way. I'm not giving that creep Damien even the slightest sliver of a chance to get near me. You remember what happened last time."

Mom sighed. 'Last Time' was when Damien had tried to seduce me. Note: I said TRIED. I didn't say succeeded. What he DID succeed at was receiving a broken nose.

"Honey, as much as I know you don't like him…"

"You don't like him either." I pointed out the obvious flaw in her argument.

"No, I don't. At least be civil to him. Farene is one of our strongest allies."

"I am being civil to him. By staying far, far away."

She sighed, because she knew that she wasn't going to win this argument.

"I'll leave you to it." She sighed again, and swept away, to dance with my dad.

I sat at one of the tables, reveling in the relative silence surrounding my area.

"Hmm… someone is being unsocial." A teasing voice said behind me. When I turned, there was Sil.

"So are you. Oh, and don't dance with Princess Natalia. She has a big enough head as it is. The other girls are just petty."

He grinned. This had become a tradition of ours, interviewing the other's potential suitors, and telling them our opinion.

"My opinion of Damien you know." Namely, absolute loathing. "Prince Stephan seems all right, but a bit of a coward." Definitely NOT someone I'll be considering anytime soon. If he can't jump off a cliff with no fear, he sure won't react well to my choice of husband-wife bonding. "I'd recommend staying hidden. Everyone else is bragging about how they will claim the 'Ice Princess of Krikia' by the end of the night."

I groaned. That nickname had started from my habit of not dancing with anyone.

"Care to dance?" My head shot up from where it had rested in my hands. Sil had never asked me to dance before.

"No, she doesn't." Another person appeared to my right. This person's arrival was greeted with a lot less enthusiasm than Sil's had.

I stood up, facing the intruding Prince. "Damien, you can't tell me what to do. Actually, you can, but that doesn't mean I'll actually do it. Quite the opposite, in fact." I turned to Sil. "I would love to dance."

Damien's arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me towards him. I quickly kneed him in a place the sun doesn't shine.

He doubled over, groaning in pain. "Perhaps I didn't make this clear last time you tried that. Keep your dirty paws off of me."

Damien snarled again as Sil's hands went to the exact same spot his had been the moment before. The difference was that I didn't knee Sil.

"You are mine. Either you can make this easy for me or harder for me, but either way, you are mine." His claim of ownership over me made me wish that he would magically turn into the toad he was acting like.

"Do you want me to re-break your nose?" I asked, venom apparent in my tone. "I'll be more than happy to oblige."

"Fine." He snarled. "You chose to make this the hard way."

His voice rose. "NOW!"

I almost laughed. He had no allies here. His country had plenty of them, but not him as an individual.

The laugh was quickly shoved down my throat as Erasers burst through the doors.


	4. Kidnapped!

_Author's Note: I suppose you're right (I mean Ella)… and just how many people are using that account?!_

_Oh, and if you try hacking my computer, I WILL hack you back. And if you haven't noticed, ALEXA was the one who was big on the decorum thing, NOT Iggy. And haven't you noticed that the Flock doesn't give a crap about decorum anyway?_

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Sil's POV

I couldn't believe it.

Actually, I can believe it. If anyone in the hall would be working with Itex, it would be Damien. What I couldn't believe was that Damien's father, King Leonardo, would agree to this. He was a peaceful man.

But as I watched King Leo, he dispelled the illusion, and turned into an Eraser.

"What did you do to the King of Farene?" Kate asked Damien confidently. I was the only one who heard the undertone of fear in her voice.

"I am the King of Farene. My father is dead." Damien replied. That sick… this goes beyond me hating him for trying to seduce Kate. He's a freaking murderer!

"You mean that you killed him!" Kate accused.

"Killed, dead… what's the difference?" He asked, shrugging.

"You have no honor whatsoever!" Honor was a big deal with Kate.

He leered at her. "Do you really think that I care?" Kate was about to reply, but one look at his face shut her up. "Now, I came to kill my competition." He gestured towards me. "Grab him."

Kate had borrowed my invisibility for the night, so I couldn't disappear. But now, she did something totally unexpected.

She shoved it back at me, so forcefully that I disappeared instantly.

Damien was furious now. "Grab Kate! If I can't kill Silence, I will claim my prize!" I was about to attack him, but then Kate intervened.

"Sil, don't you DARE risk your life for me. I'll be okay."

I used a power Kate hadn't known about: Telepathy. According to my father, I was able to have a link with one person. I hadn't chosen who yet. Now, I gave it to Kate.

_Be safe, Kate. I will find you again._ I told her. She concealed her shock very well.

And I watched Damien kidnap my best friend.


	5. Journey

_Author's Note: Will do. And I decided to make this post longer than my last one… _

_And he does, doesn't he?_

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Kate's POV

Erasers burst into the hall. I shouldn't be surprised. After all, Damien is and evil, possessive, delusional jerk. What I was surprised about was that the King of Farene, King Leo, would allow this. But then King Leo turned into an Eraser.

"What did you do to the King of Farene?" I questioned. Only Sil could tell that I was deathly afraid.

"I am the King of Farene. My father is dead." Murderer!

"You mean that you killed him!" I snarled in anger.

"Killed, dead… what's the difference?" How could ANYONE shrug that off? Even HIM?

"You have no honor whatsoever!" Honor was a big deal to me. If you don't have honor, you don't deserve to rule.

"Do you really think that I care?" I was about to reply, but then I realized that he was about to order the Erasers to kill someone, so I had to be alert in order to protect him or her. "Now, I came here to kill my competition." He pointed at Sil. "Grab him."

No! I couldn't let that happen. But I had borrowed his invisibility for the night! How was he supposed to escape?

So I threw the invisibility back at Sil, hard enough that he disappeared instantly.

Damien was flaming mad. "Grab Kate! If I can't kill Silence, I will claim my prize!" Knowing Sil, he was about to attack Damien, which would instantly get him killed.

"Sil, don't you DARE risk your life for me. I'll be okay." I really hoped that I would be. But I wouldn't allow my best friend to get himself killed for me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened.

Sil spoke. _Be safe, Kate. I will find you again. _Wait just a dang second… He hadn't said that out loud!

I concealed my shock so that Damien didn't know about the whole 'Sil-is-talking-to-me-in-my-head' thing.

And the Erasers carried me away.

***

Of course, I didn't make things easy for them. "Will you quit struggling?" Damien finally snapped.

"Let me see… you kidnapped me and threatened to kill my best friend, and you're expecting me to QUIT STRUGGLING?!" I snarled.

"The heroes in the fairy tales never had this much trouble with their women." He muttered.

"There are so many things wrong with that I don't know where to start. One: You are NOT a hero. YOU are a villain. Anyone who kills his father to become King is, by definition, the villain. Two: I'm not your woman. Three: This isn't a freaking FAIRY TALE!!!"

"No matter. You are still mine."

"Were you not listening to Reason #2? And haven't you noticed that the villain NEVER wins in fairy tales? The knight in shining armor always wins."

His temper flared. "I AM your knight in shining armor!"

I laughed. "No, you're not. You're the villain, remember? If anyone is a knight in shining armor, it's Sil."

He was really pissed now. "He won't be the one getting you. I will. And if you don't shut up, I will knock you out!"

_Kate, as much as I hate to say it, listen to him. I want you hurt as little as possible. _Sil reappeared in my head.

I conceded, but only because I had better things to do. Namely, talk to Sil. _Sil? How the HECK are you doing this?_

He sounded sheepish when he replied. _I have a power I never told you about. Telepathy. I can establish an empathy link with one person, and I chose you. My dad can do it too, with Mom. Grandpa could do it also. He was Mom's Voice._

I was speechless. _So, now you're my Voice._

_Kind of. But instead of advice on how to save the kingdom, I'll be rescuing you. Did you really mean the 'knight-in-shining-armor' thing?_

_Do you have a better candidate? _I could almost see him smiling. But then he was serious again.

_Listen to Damien for now. I don't want you hurt because of me._

_If he attempts a 'last year', you'd better rescue me ASAP. _I informed him.

I could feel him wince. _That's a given. _

_Can we change the subject to something a little more cheery, please? I'm getting depressed just thinking about it. _

He smiled again. _What do you want to talk about?_

_Did you really want to dance with me at the ball, or did you want to dance because it would seriously piss off Damien?_

_I really wanted to dance with you, although pissing off Damien would be a bonus. _I couldn't doubt the sincerity in his voice.

I decided that dropping this subject would be the best idea. _Do you think the prophecy has something to do with this?_

He immediately knew which prophecy I was talking about. _Well, Damien is obviously the contamination trying to destroy Krikia._

_We knew that before he kidnapped me. _I interjected.

_And he was our ally. Not our FRIEND, but our ally. So he betrayed us. You're the first Royal child, since he kidnapped you… and I guess that makes me the second._

_But why does the fate of the kingdom rest on your shoulders? And how the heck are you able to destroy Krikia anyway? _I wondered

_I wish I knew. But enough of this depressing talk. Did you know that Princess Natalia told me that you were an arrogant wannabe?  
_

I almost winced. Telling that to Sil was alike to signing your own death warrant. _What'd you tell her?_

_I said that if you were supposed to be like her, you'd commit suicide. And that she could kiss any hopes of marrying me goodbye._

_I probably would commit suicide. I mean, really. What is WRONG with her?_

_No clue, but it looks like you've arrived at your prison. They'll probably have mages at the gates that can detect me. I have to go now. Be safe. _And Sil was gone.

Damien smiled, a truly chilling thing. "Welcome to your new home."


	6. Link

_Author's Note: Luna, you might hate this chapter, but I've been planning this from the beginning. And it ISN'T Kamien._

_Oh, and a Native Krikian is like a Native American to us._

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Sil's POV

I sat in my room, feeling Kate being dragged inside The Palace of Farene. I wanted to talk to her, but I knew that I couldn't. If one of the mages found out about the Link, we'd both be in trouble.

My father came in the door. "Sil, I'm sorry about Kate."

He hadn't realized that I'd Linked her? "Dad, I'm alright, and so is Kate."

He processed that for a minute, and his eyebrows rose slightly. "You Linked her?" I nodded sheepishly. "Was it easy to Link her?"

"Natural." I said. "No resistance at all."

His eyebrows rose higher. "Care to explain what's making you so surprised?" I asked.

"Do you remember what I said about Linking someone?" He asked. "About the difficulty levels?"

"No…"

"Alright. If it's impossible to Link someone, chances are either they're an illusion or planning on killing you. If it's really hard, you weren't meant to Link them, but you still can. That's like Grandpa's Link to your mother. Then there's the natural Link. Well, ah…"

"Spit it out, Dad. I can tell you're hiding something." What was he holding back?

"The natural Link can only be formed between soul mates." I almost choked on my breath. Soul mates? Me and Kate? "I have that with Max."

"You're basically telling me that I'm meant to be with Kate?" Holy s***. Kate was my best friend for crying out loud! I didn't like her like that! Did I?

In an instant, I was swept into a memory of her, her flame-red hair hanging loose around her pale face. Her emerald-green eyes darkened to gray as she predicted the next avoidable disaster. I remember those eyes sparkling with rage as she faced down Damien.

In that moment, I knew.

I was hopelessly in love with my best friend.

Dad smirked, realizing what I had. "Good. Max wants grandkids." My cheeks burned in embarrassment as I realized what he was implying.

"You do realize that I'm fifteen, right?" I asked him.

"I do. Just a thought for the future. Oh, and natural Links are undetectable. Ask Kate to goad Damien into telling her exactly where she is. Knowing Damien and Kate, that shouldn't be too hard." Dad left.

_Kate?_ I asked hesitantly.

_Sil! Thank god, a Voice of sanity in this place! _I snickered. Obviously, Kate's razor-sharp tongue hasn't been dulled by Damien.

_All right, here's the deal. I just talked to Dad. The Link between you and me is undetectable, so I can talk to you without any danger. _I decided to save the whole 'Oh yeah, we're soul mates, and my mom wants grandkids' conversation until later. _Can you goad Damien into telling you where you are in the castle? _

_You don't need to ask twice. "Damien!" _She yelled. _"Are your subjects pigs? This sure looks like a dining hall..."_

Damien barely contained his control.

"_This isn't the dining hall, wench! This isn't even the same floor!"  
_

"_Oh, I'm sorry. I could have sworn you were one…" _She trailed off, barely able to contain snickering.

Damien turned red with fury, which was Kate's cue to goad him some more. _"If you're not a pig, you ARE a masochistic jerk." _

He was puzzled. _"Masochistic?"_

"_Look it up. Or is this your sorry excuse for a library?" _Jeez, Kate could goad Mother Teresa into becoming an axe-murderer!

Damien finally exploded. _"Can't you tell this is a dungeon, you b****?!" _

"_My, my, someone needs to wash their mouth out with soap." _Kate taunted. _"Do you mean to tell me that we're still in Krikia?"_

"_You're in Farene, duh! Right under my bedroom! Now, SHUT UP!!!"_

_Kate, calm down. I know everything I need to. _I assured her.

_Aww… I was enjoying annoying the heck out of him. _She mock-pouted.

_Anyways, I know where you are now. I'm going to go talk to Dad in order to stage your rescue. Don't goad him anymore than necessary._

_Define 'necessary'._

_Don't annoy him just yet. I'll be back soon. _

I walked over to Dad's receiving room. I knocked quickly twice, and then knocked once. Our secret signal for 'It's Sil, let me in, I have information.'

"Come in." I entered, not taking a seat.

"Kate's in the Palace of Farene, in a dungeon under Damien's bedroom. He hasn't tried anything yet, but I have a feeling that is going to change." I informed him.

"What are you going to do about it, Shadow?" He asked. I'm Dad's unofficial spymaster, and I work under the name Shadow. Since no one has ever seen what Shadow looks like, the name started up, and I stuck with it.

My tactical instincts kicked in. "Learn what I can about the palace especially all of the secret entrances. Learn what traps Damien has put in place, and ask Kate to help me find more. I'll rescue her only if I have all of the information I need, or if she is in immediate danger."

He nodded. "Very good. The files you need are in the hidden library, shelf 138."

I quickly strode out of the room, turning invisible as I did so. When I reached the library, I checked to make sure no one was looking. I slid the hidden latch behind a bookshelf, and entered the passage leading to the hidden library.

The hidden library was the castle's original library, before a cave-in had buried it. Grandpa had found it, and brought it back to life, making it the storage place for everything a spymaster needed.

Carefully, I pulled out the delicate maps of Farene's castle. King Leo had provided us with the maps because he was worried about Damien, and knew that we would have to stop him. Damien didn't even realize that there were passages he didn't know about.

I studied the piece of parchment. There were many entrances to the actual palace, but not many didn't go anywhere near the main hallways. Only two went to Kate's dungeon.

One entrance was through the Forbidden Wood. I shuddered. The Wood was a haunted place, filled with creatures who would love nothing better than to kill any passing human, part bird or no. If I went through that way, I would need Kaila's help. She was a witch of sorts, but not an evil one.

The other entrance was even harder to get to. It was located in a cliff facing the palace. If I went that way, the guards would sense me the second I tried to fly up the cliff.

I guess I'm going through the Wood.

I committed the map to memory, memorizing any passages that could be useful in an escape, before placing it back, and leaving to go find Kaila.

She was sitting in the garden. Even though I was invisible, she knew I was there. "Sil, what is it?" I appeared.

Kaila was several years younger than me, only twelve, but she was wise beyond her years. She looked like a Native Krikian, with dark skin, hair, and black eyes.

"I need your help." I quickly explained my plan to rescue Kate.

When I had finished, she shook her head. "Are you sure that there were no other ways?"

"That's the only one that isn't complete suicide. But it will be if you don't help me. The creatures of the Wood don't like me; we both know that. They treat you as though you were their ruler."

"Narcissi is their ruler." Narcissi is Kaila's teacher, the one who taught Kaila how to use her powers. "But, as her student, I hold certain influence. I will help you. Just tell me when."

I breathed a sigh of relief. With Kaila, Kate's rescue was sure to succeed. "Thank you. You don't know how much it means to me."

"Oh, I do." The look in her eyes told me all I needed to know before she spoke. "I knew you and Kate were soul mates when you were just seven. But I'm glad you finally realized it."

"You knew all those years?! Did you tell Kate?" This was the most important question.

"No. But, after we rescue her, and you don't, I will. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to talk to Narcissi about protection charms." Kaila stood, and left.

Sometimes, even though she is a good friend of mine, she seriously creeped me out.


	7. The Blackwood Beast

_Author's Note: Wait a second… Rose and Ella, are you actually drawing pictures of Kate and Silence and posting them on the Internet?_

_And Luna, it's an interesting idea with Kaila, but no. And thanks for dealing with the whole Kilence thing. And what happened with your alarm clock?_

_I don't own the original Greek myth. I only own the Blackwood Beast._

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Sil's POV

"This is going to be difficult." Kaila frowned in concentration. "If I remember correctly, that's the Venia section of the wood."

Kaila, Narcissi, and I were studying the maps in the hidden library, to better plan our rescue. Narcissi had showed up to offer insight about the mysterious Wood.

"It is." Narcissi sighed. "Home to the Blackwood Beast." She didn't even have to look at me to know I was confused. I had never heard of the Blackwood Beast, and I'd heard a lot of local legends. "It's the only animal in the Wood who does not acknowledge me as its Queen. It's also the most dangerous."

I almost groaned in frustration. Just when things seem possible…

"But." Narcissi continued. "That doesn't mean that defeating the Beast is impossible. Just very, very difficult. Kaila, if you intend to help Silence, I'm tripling your self-defense time. You're going to need it."

"I understand." Kaila replied.

"Good. We'd best get working on that. Silence, you might want to look up the legend of the Beast." Narcissi hobbled over to a shelf, pulling out a scroll. She gave it to me. "This contains all you need to know about the Beast. Memorize it. Even the smallest detail could save your life." Narcissi left, with Kaila in tow.

I opened the scroll. The parchment was brittle, meaning that it was old. Very, very old. And if the legend was old, so was the Beast. The older something is, the more dangerous it becomes.

The faded writing was in Greek. It was even older than I had originally thought. Carefully, I translated it.

_When the gods of Olympus came to power, there were many unhappy with their rule. The angriest was their own grandmother, the earth goddess Gaia. Gaia was angry that Zeus, the leader of the Gods, had imprisoned her children in Tartarus, the Greek Hell. So she plotted revenge._

_She freed the monster Typhon to terrorize the Gods. Typhon was a terrible beast that even the gods were afraid of. With only luck on his side, Zeus managed to trap Typhon under a mountain. Typhon's mate, Echidna, fled, keeping her demonic offspring safe. These children were a challenge to future heroes. The most famous were Cerberus, the Hydra, and the Nemean Lion._

_But, one day, Typhon managed to escape from under his prison. He had come to realize that he couldn't win against the gods, so he went into hiding, in the Forest of Dreams. And there he stayed, and will stay, until the end of time._

I knew my History well enough that I knew why Narcissi had asked me to read the legend.

Over time, Greece had given way, only to become Krikia. And the Forest of Dreams had become the Forbidden Wood.

Oh crap.

The Blackwood Beast was the mythical Typhon.

And, if I'd read the legend correctly, even the invincible Gods had trouble subduing Typhon. If they couldn't make him submit to their power, how the heck was I supposed to even get anywhere near him without being ripped to shreds?

I would have to have to have faith that Narcissi and Kaila would come through.

Otherwise, this mission was doomed to fail before it even began.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. If I dwelled on the task ahead too much, I would terrify myself into believing that it was impossible.

There was only one thing I could do in this situation.

I needed to meditate.

***

I sat in the palace gardens, carefully clearing my thoughts.

Kate had taught me how to meditate when we were little. I hadn't been thrilled to learn, but she had said that sometimes, when you meditated, it made complicated situations clearer.

I could definitely use something like that right now.

So I cleared my mind, allowing only the situation at hand to leak into my consciousness. I began with the prophecy, and then slipped in Kate's kidnapping, my Link with her and what it meant, the entrance to her dungeon, and the problem of the Blackwood Beast.

Suddenly, an answer came to me. Mythical beast or no, everything had a weakness.

I needed to learn more about Typhon. Then, and only then, would I have a chance at defeating him.

***

I stared at the book in front of me. Back in the hidden library, I had pulled out every text with even a mention of Typhon. Most of it didn't tell me anything new, but this book had.

It couldn't be that easy.

***

"Interesting theory." Narcissi studied the passage I had pointed out. "I never even though of that. You might just be right."

The book had stated that after Typhon had been trapped under the mountain, he had become the first volcano. It had gone on to say that Typhon's element was fire.

And there was only one thing Fire was vulnerable to.

Water!

Typhon hid in the forest because the trees and surrounding mountains offered plenty of protection against the rain. Everything added up.

Narcissi smiled. "We have become very lucky. Kaila's prime element is water. You have a chance at defeating him after all."

Kaila's relief was perceptible, even though she was even better than Dad at hiding emotions. Obviously, she had been just as worried about this as I had.

"Meditation came in handy after all, didn't it, Sil?" Kaila said.

"Yeah." Wait a second… "Hey! I never said anything about meditation! How did you know?"

Kaila smiled mysteriously. "Trade secret."

As I said before: even though she was a very good friend of mine, she seriously creeped me out sometimes.


	8. Captive

_Author's Note: Sucks about your alarm clock. If it makes you feel any better, at least Luke didn't try to blow up your room on multiple occasions like my brother did. _

_And technically, Typhon's not a volcano. He escaped from under the mountain, remember? There is a myth like that, except Typhon didn't escape. I don't think it has a name though…_

_And, if Rose and Ella don't mind, can you send me some of the pictures? I would LOVE to see them. Luna, I actually have a character with your name on the Maximum Ride site. (I had started that series before I'd even heard of Fan Fiction.)_

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Kate's POV

I sat there, chained in the dungeon. Time had become meaningless, unnecessary. There were no windows, so I couldn't tell whether it was day or night. It seemed as though a lifetime had passed.

The dungeon door swung open, revealing Damien. He inspected my limp form. Then he left me a loaf of bread, surprising me. It had been my first meal (If you could call it a meal) since my capture.

"Eat. I don't want you missing the main attraction because you passed out." His grin let me know exactly what he what attraction he had in mind.

He left, not even giving me a chance to respond. I scarfed down the bread, knowing that I would need all of my strength to fight off what I knew was coming.

_Sil! _I mentally screamed. _Damien's going to try a Last Year!_

_Hang on, Kate! I'll be there soon! _I could hear the panic in his voice, and it did little to soothe my fears. His voice disappeared, leaving me with only my own thoughts.

Damien was going to try to take me again. He had been thwarted by me last year, but only because I had been in a condition to fight. Now, with me slowly starving to death and barely able to move, I wouldn't be able to stop him.

This bothered me even more than it had last year. I knew he wouldn't succeed. But what if-

No. That wasn't an option. Sil would come. He would save me.

But why did it bother me so much? I knew that he wanted me, but what made me even angrier than I had been?

Every time I asked myself this question, Sil's face appeared in my mind. I remembered his unruly black hair, tan skin, and obsidian eyes. I remembered his smile, his laughter. I remembered how my day had always brightened when he was around me. How I always looked forward to seeing him again. Then it hit me.

I was in love with my best friend.

The real question: Could he ever love me back?

I wasn't sure. I did know him better than everyone else, and he did trust me, but sometimes I still felt like I didn't know him at all. I knew that he snuck away every night, though I didn't know where he went. Was he going to meet his beloved? I didn't know for sure, and I wasn't courageous enough to ask him.

_Kate, I'll be there in a few minutes. Hang on. _Sil's voice slid into my head, and I could feel that he was close.

But, as I was about to reply, Damien re-entered the room, flanked by several Erasers. "Well, well. The Ice Princess is finally at my mercy."

"Never." I spat. "I will never give in."

"I'm sure you will." He said, grinning. One of his Eraser guards walked over to me, taking my arm in his hand.

With one quick jerk of his hands, he snapped my arm like a twig. I screamed, the agony pulsing through my body.

"Someday, you will be my Queen, willing or no." Suddenly, I realized why Damien was so obsessed with me, and had no conscience about killing, even his own father.

He was mad.

"Never!" The Eraser broke another bone in my arm. My screams echoed throughout the dungeon. Hot tears burned my eyes as I fought not to cry.

"Pretty screams. Too bad no one will be around to hear them." Damien walked closer, his lips almost at my ear. "No one will be able to save you now. No one."

_Sil. Please, save me. I can't hold him off for much longer._


	9. The Forbidden Wood

_Author's Note: I'm sorry I didn't post for the last few days! I had a technical glitch._

_Luna, I bet that your brother doesn't read physics books for fun and make you listen to it. And I appreciate your honest opinion._

_This chapter is dedicated to lizziestar. Happy (Very) Belated Birthday!_

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Sil's POV

I was in the hidden library when I heard Kate scream for help.

_Sil! Damien's going to try a Last Year!_

I felt my body turn to ice. This was the disaster I had been praying wouldn't happen. I needed to get her out of there, now!

_Hang on, Kate! I'll be there soon!_

I raced out of the library, running towards the garden, where I knew Kaila and Narcissi were. They always trained there.

When I had made it to the garden, Narcissi was about to protest at being interrupted. But one look at the expression on my face made her swallow her protest. "Damien's attempting to pull a Last Year. Can you tell Dad where I am?" I asked Narcissi.

"Of course. Now go." I didn't let her finish her sentence before I took off, Kaila by my side.

In the air, I flew at top speeds towards the border between Krikia and Farene. Both kingdoms were fairly small, so it didn't take us too long to get there, though it was longer than I would have liked.

After we'd crossed the invisible border, I found the Forbidden Wood. Its very essence was dark, and made my confidence at being able to survive it diminish instantly.

"Let me take the lead." Kaila ordered. I did, because she knew the most about the legendary forest.

She dove suddenly, heading towards the most foreboding section of the forest. I followed.

As we descended, I felt raw fear enter my veins. Every cell in my body was screaming at me to go back to Krikia, to forget about Kate. But I ignored it, not allowing the fear to take over. I would never abandon Kate.

When we landed, Kaila spoke to me, via her mind-reading powers. _Do you feel the fear?_

_I felt it since I began to descend. Why?_

She thought a word a twelve-year-old shouldn't know. _It means that Typhon is closer than I thought. Stay behind me._

We ran through the forest, towards the secret entrance to the palace. Even though all of the trees looked the same, I knew that we were going in the right direction.j

The fear seemed to increase as we went on. And, straight ahead, was a cave. It was gigantic, maybe the size of a five-story building in height alone. In width, it was even bigger.

The cave was dark, too dark to see into even with my enhanced eyesight. But I could have sworn I saw the darkness inside shift. I blinked. Great. Now I was seeing things.

A massive blast of fire interrupted my thoughts. I was thankful for my quick reflexes as I dodged the fatal blast, hiding behind a convenient boulder, while Kaila stood her ground, shielding herself from harm.

A monster emerged from the cave. He was huge, so big that the cave looked too small for him. His scales were a plain brown, flecked with red, and his eyes were the color of blood. He had razor-sharp claws, even sharper teeth, and a spiked tail. Now I know where people get their descriptions of dragons.

"Puny human. You stumbled into the territory of Typhon. Now you must pay the price." He shot the fire blast again, towards Kaila. She blocked again, and mentally screamed at me.

_Go! I'll take care of him. The entrance to the palace is in his lair. Go!_

She began to distract the monster in front of me. Typhon was oblivious to my presence as I invisibly sprinted past him into the pitch-black cave.

_Kate, I'll be there in a few minutes. Hang on._


	10. Facedown

_Author's Note: No more technical glitches! (Doing victory dance)_

_Oh, and a Last Year…. Well, last year at the Suitor's Ball, Damien attempted to seduce Kate, and she broke his nose. _

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Kaila's POV

I stared at Typhon, knowing that I had to make sure that Sil was able to get into the castle safely. If Typhon went back into the cave, Sil was toast, and so was Kate. I had to distract him. But how?

Calmly, I remembered that Typhon was a creature of Fire. It meant that using Earth was a very bad idea, that Air would have no effect on him, and that Water was my only hope of beating him.

But where would I get the water? I didn't want to cause a drought somewhere because I borrowed their water.

I glanced upwards, and remembered that the forest had near-constant rainfall this time of year. But it hadn't rained yet. Which meant…

All that water was up there still.

Quickly, I called the trees around me to move their branches far away from Typhon. He was still unaware of my involvement with the environment, as was debating to himself as to how to eat me.

"Hmm… why am I trying to figure out new ways to cook humans? I always eat them burnt!" And he blasted me with another shockwave of fire.

I blocked it. "Typhon, surrender now. I am Princess Kaila. My teacher, Narcissi, rules this forest. If you kill me, you will not live to tell the tale."

"Narcissi does not command me, weakling! And neither do you!" He attempted to fry me again, but it was too easy to divert it.

"This is your last chance to live." I warned him.

"I will live to see another day! But you won't!"

Then I called down the rain.

I was drenched as I watched the waterfall of pent-up liquid drain from the heavens. Even though I was soaked, there was no immediate danger of me dying.

Typhon, however, was not so lucky.

He dashed for his cave, but I had temporarily blocked it. He smashed into my barrier, which was made of more water.

The entire clearing was encased in this barrier.

When the rain had run out, Typhon was lying in the center of the ground, too weak to move.

I disabled my barriers, keeping the water near me. Walking over, I saw his red eyes on me.

"Witch." He spat.

"I never claimed otherwise." Then I forced the water down his throat, killing him.

I raised my voice. "If any of you other beasts want to try and kill me, go ahead. You'll just meet the same fate as Typhon."

I could feel their presence, hidden behind the many trees of the forest. But none of them were courageous enough to challenge me.

I watched the cave, anxiety echoing through my veins.

What would happen to Sil and Kate?


	11. Words of Power

_Author's Note: Now, it's time to find out what happened to Sil and Kate.  
Welcome to My Side of the River  
Sonya_

Sil's POV

The tunnel was dark, making it difficult for me to find the passage. But I managed through some sheer luck.

Running as though my life was the one on the line, I sprinted towards my soul mate.

I knew I was close when I heard Kate scream. Even though the sound made my heart tear in two, I was grateful for the reassurance that she was truly here, that I wasn't mindlessly walking into a trap.

_Hang on Kate. Just hang on! _I prayed that she would be alright. Even though I wasn't particularly religious, I figured that I'd need all of the help I could get.

When I saw the wall, I ran through it, not caring about my own health or safety.

What I saw made my heart shatter into pieces.

Kate was chained to the ground, crying softly. I knew that he hadn't managed to succeed in his plan by her thoughts, but I still lusted for his demise. Kate never cried. Ever. Since he had made the invincible Kate cry, the one who never showed that she was weak or defenseless, I would make him pay.

Damien smiled, making me wonder what he had up his sleeve. "Sil. Now that you're here, the games can truly begin."

"What the h*** are you talking about, Damien?" I snarled.

He looked at me, then at Kate. "You really don't know?"

"All I know is that you tried to rape my best friend, and that's enough to make me want to kill you." I was careful not to say soul mate in front of Kate. I would be able to tell her later, but I didn't want her any more freaked out at the moment. Plus, I didn't know if she felt the same.

Damien laughed, a truly mad sound. "You're a pretty bad spymaster, _Shadow_." I cursed mentally. How had he found out about my alter ego?

Kate stopped crying, enough to stare at me in shock. _You're Shadow? Why didn't you tell me?_

_Father ordered me not to. I wish that I could have. _Would she hate me for keeping this secret from her?

_I forgive you. Just kill the moron already. _Yup, Kate was going to be fine. I turned back to my enemy.

"You're an even worse King."

With that insult, Damien lost his temper. "Give me the Words!"

"What words?" I asked, puzzled.

"The Words of Power! Hand them over!"

I froze. The Words of Power were in a primitive language no one could translate. They were raw magic, and, when spoken aloud, could destroy the world. They were passed down through each generation.

"I don't have them." But I knew it was a lie. "Why do you want them anyway?"

Suddenly, Damien strode over to Kate, pulling a dagger out of his jacket. He held the blade over Kate's heart. "You should know what for. I'll spell it out for you. Destroy Krikia with them, or I kill your precious soul mate." I swore out loud this time.

How was I supposed to choose? On one hand, I could save my family and kingdom. On the other, I could save my soul mate, the only one I would ever love.

Kate's eyes widened momentarily, before she screamed. "If you destroy Krikia for me, Silence Ride, I will NEVER forgive you!"

I looked into her eyes once more, and made my decision.


	12. Decision

_Author's Note: I'm SO SORRY!!!! I'm currently being bombarded with schoolwork. I'll only be able to post once a week from now on.  
Welcome to My Side of the River  
Sonya_

Kate's POV

I had had enough. I was sick of all of these secrets surrounding me, under my own nose!

I had just found out three secrets about my best friend: he was the elusive spymaster Shadow, he possessed the power to destroy the world, and he was my SOUL MATE.

Which meant… that he and I were meant to be together. That was my only comfort from this situation.

I currently waited, to see what he would do. Would he destroy the world, or allow Damien to kill me?

_Kate. Take the Words._

_What?_

_Take the Words of Power from me. _I understood his plan immediately, and obliged.

"Well?" Damien snarled. "Make your decision!"

"The decision isn't his to make." I smiled evilly. "I took the Words from him. He can't use them until I decide to give them back. And, since I'm not directly linked to the world like he is, because he's supposed to rule Krikia someday, I can't use the words to create all of the chaos you're hoping for. You lost, Damien."

It took several seconds for my words to sink in, but when they finally did, he really lost it. He swiftly pulled the knife up, preparing to take my life. I braced myself for the pain looming around the horizon.

But it never came.

When I opened my eyes, Damien was pinned against the wall by a very angry Sil. "Do. Not. Touch. Kate." I had never heard Sil this mad in my life. Even Damien was cowering in fear.

I cleared my throat. "Sil. Do you mind unchaining me? Just knock him out already. We can take him to your Father, and let him deal with the sorry excuse for a being." Sil took my advice to heard, and quickly whacked Damien hard enough on the head to knock him out.

Dropping him on the floor, Sil strode over to me, breaking my chains. I stood, then nearly collapsed. Sil caught me, concern written all over his face.

"Starvation. I was barely fed." I explained. "I don't think I can fly back."

"I'll have to carry you." Sil volunteered. "But who will take Damien?"

"I will." I turned to see Kaila standing in the doorway. "By the way, the Blackwood Beast is no more. I killed it."

"You WHAT?!" I yelped.

"I'll explain later. But we need to get some food into you, before you pass out."

"One last question: Just how long did you know about me and Sil?" I glared at her for added effect.

"Since you were seven." She admitted, not beating around the bush. I glared at her more, then allowed Sil to pick me up.

As soon as we took off, the rhythm of Sil's wings flapping created a calm in me that I'd never felt before. Still smiling at my rescue, I drifted off to sleep.


	13. Trial

_Author's Note: I'm sorry I haven't posted in so long, but I was kicked off of my computer. Today marks the start of a week of half-days. And I can post for the entire week. _

_So this is the epilogue. Should I make another sequel?_

_Oh, and Luna? ARE YOU INSANE!?!?!?!_

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_

Sil's POV

I glared at Damien. Every ounce of self-control I had was keeping me in this seat instead of killing him.

Then I felt it. Kate put her hand on my shoulder. "Sil, calm down. He's not worth it." And, just like that, I felt my anger evaporate.

Today was Damien's trial. We had presented our evidence to the judge, and were waiting to hear the court's decision. Even though I would have preferred to just lock him up without the trial, Kate had refused, saying that the kingdom needed to know exactly why he was going to jail. We all knew that he would be convicted guilty.

But Damien had helped me, I suppose. Without him, I never would have realized that I was in love. That doesn't make me hate him any less, but it did make me agree to the trial.

The Judge came in then. "King Damien, the Court finds you guilty of kidnapping of Princess Katelyn Batchelder. We sentence you to a lifetime in jail, and forfeiting of your rulership."

Inwardly, I rejoiced. He wouldn't be able to hurt anyone anymore. But then I saw Damien's smile.

"That's too bad." Damien spoke. "Because I won't serve your jail time." The second his statement sunk in, he snapped out a set of….

Wings.

Damien was an experiment, just like us.

As I lunged for him, he took off, going straight through the ornamental glass ceiling. Razor-sharp glass rained down upon the people in the room. Screams of surprise and pain echoed throughout the building as Damien left. Pouring on what looked like super speed, he was rapidly disappearing. "This isn't over!" He screamed, and he was gone.

Since I knew I could never catch him, I turned my attention to the most important thing: Kate.

"Are you okay?" Were the first words out of my mouth.

"Fine. Just a few shards." I gave her a skeptical expression. She sighed. "Okay, fine, more than a few, and they really hurt."

I led her over to Kaila. Dimly, I heard their chatter

Finding Damien could wait. Right now, I had to make sure no one else was hurt, and to find a replacement for Damien for King. But I would never forget. I would bring Damien to justice, no matter what it took.

After all, he'd said it himself.

_This isn't over._


	14. Author's Note

_Author's Note: Okay, the results are in…_

_You're going to get one more sequel. Then the series will be finished._

_Check out __Border of Forever__ tomorrow. Thanks!_

_Welcome to My Side of the River_

_Sonya_


End file.
